Pictures of You
by LyssaLa
Summary: A collection of Fairy Tail stories focusing mainly on Natsu and Lucy but involves other canon or practically canon pairings. Mostly all fluffy and light stories both in the land of Fiore and AU. Spans pre-series to post series. Ratings vary from K-T.
1. Dreams

**Why, Hello there, Fairy Tail fandom! I'm Lyssa or Lyssala if you know me on tumblr ^^ This isn't really a story but a place for all my Fairy Tail drabbles to come together. I really did this so my friends on tumblr could find them easily if they so chose to and so others could read them if they wanted. It won't be updated regularly, like I said this is just a place for them all to be together. The oneshots are all unrelated for the most part and will really all be Natsu/Lucy but will have other pairings as well. I find I like to write little fluff fluff drabbles for my friends and here they are. A lot of these are also used for practice to work on the characters so I apologize in advance if anyone seems out of character. There are in the order I wrote them in so I hope I improve!**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. And I love him very much for it._

**_Dreams_**

**Pairings: **Jellal/Erza, Natsu/Lucy

**Timeline: **Erza's Past/Sometime after Tower of Heaven

**Rating: **K

**Dedication: **This is for Kat! Like a lot of these drabbles lol She requested Jellal/Erza for a ficlet.

"...Jellal?"

A slight grunt.

"Jellal? Are you awake?"

The rough wool blanket that the boy haired boy slept under rustled. "Yeah," came the small voice still thick with sleep. "What's the matter, Ezra?"

The small girl was cowered in the corner closest to him when he opened his eyes. Her legs were pushed up to her chest and her arms were holding on to them like she was the only thing keeping them still attached to her body. Jellal instantly flew from his makeshift bed on the cold floor to his friend's side. "What's wrong?" he asked. His eyes making sure in the dim light that she wasn't hurt. "Did something happen?"

Ezra shook her head, her scarlet hair shaking with her. "No…I…" she bit her lip, looking away from Jellal's intense gaze. "I can't sleep," she murmured.

Jellal had to clasp a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh.

The girl watched him her eyes narrowing as her face matched her hair. "What's so funny," she hissed in embarrassment.

"You are," the young boy laughed softly as to not wake up the others that surrounded them. He held out a hand to her. "This is easily fixable."

Ezra eyed Jellal and his hand fearing he was going to laugh at her again, but even as she took his hand that reassuring smile never left his face. He hoisted her up to her feet and led her the short distance to his blanket. The dark haired girl watched wearily as he plopped down and motioned for her to do the same.

"It's okay," he smiled. "If you can't sleep, you probably just don't feel safe, not that I can blame you," the boy added with a grimace. "But if you are with someone you feel safe with, everything is okay."

Ezra couldn't fight his logic at least. Despite the sudden shyness she felt, Erza sat down next to Jellal. He smiled at her once more and laid back pulling the blanket over the both of them.

"Feel better?" he asked, as he watched her lay her head down on the ground.

She nodded with a smile. Even by torchlight, Erza could see Jellal's smile light up his face.

"I'll always be there to protect you, Ezra, you know that right?"

Ezra's eyes fluttered open under the wide sky of the Northern Woods.

"Seriously, Luce, there is _nothing_ out there."

Natsu had some brilliant idea about going camping which of course Happy was all for as well. Gray was not about to be shown up by Natsu and any camping skills he may or may not have. Lucy, not one for camping, just didn't want to be left alone back at the guild and Ezra had come to make sure they all didn't die. She glanced over at the noise that had woken her up.

"I swear I heard something out there!" Lucy's voice, though hushed, still cut through the silence. Natsu was laying in his sleeping bag with both hands behind his head while watching Lucy who was cowering in her own sleeping bag.

"Nothing is out there that is going to hurt you," he answered with a roll of the eyes. "You should just believe me but," he threw open a side of his blanket. "Come on."

Ezra watched Lucy eye him suspiciously before a rustling bush behind her scared her so out of her wits that she practically jumped into the dragon slayer's sleeping bag. Natsu chuckled as the girl huddled into him. He brushed his hand over her head. "Don't worry, you weirdo, I'll protect you," his voice was teasing but his smile was sincere.

The redheaded warrior looked away from the campsite and back up at the stars, words still ringing in her ears. "But where are you now?" she muttered bitterly, her eyes threatening to fill with tears over the only person who could ever make her cry.

**Most of these are short like this but some will be longer and some have more than one part. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did writing them! **

**~Lyssa**


	2. Cover Hog

**Here is one that is just Natsu and Lucy! It was one of those things where I wrote down the first thing that came to my mind. Whether that is good or bad is beyond me though XD**

_Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima owns all. And for good reason! He is good at what he does. _

**_Cover Hog_  
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**Pairings: **Natsu/Lucy

**Timeline: **Anytime in the series really

**Rating: **K

**Dedication: **Another one for Kat! And there are a lot of them for her because she is my Fairy Tail mama! I wrote this for her when she was feeling down.

If there was one thing Natsu knew it was that Lucy was the biggest cover hog there ever was. Not to say he made a habit of sleeping in the same bed with other people but it did have to happen for missions and such. Gray never got cold so he was easy to share a bed with, he didn't use the blankets anyway. Happy took up such little room on the bed, Natsu wouldn't have even noticed if the blue cat was taking the covers. And Erza wouldn't have shared a bed with him even if he wanted her to. Despite maybe not full knowledge of how others sleep, Natsu thought the way Lucy wrapped herself up in the blankets far too much. He couldn't even really see her, save for the tuft of blonde hair coming out the top of the pile. Natsu didn't really need the blankets since he never got cold either but that was besides the point.

He glanced over at Lucy's swaddled body. He could just go to sleep without them; he did most nights in her bed anyway. Yet, as sappy as it sounds, he didn't like the fleece barrier between them. He resisted rolling his eyes even at his inner thoughts but it was true. He loved feeling her body next to his, the sound of her breath as she slept, he just loved being with her. These blankets were getting in the way of that. With a slight growl of bitterness towards said blankets he reached over and pulled on a side hoping to unravel them from around her.

They unraveled alright. The force in which the Dragon Slayer had pulled on the covers was far more than he actually needed. The blanket came back at him but sent Lucy off the edge of the bed. She hit the floor with a thud causing Natsu to wince. Oh, she would not be happy.

"Natsu," Lucy hissed as she was awoken in a less than pleasant way; one she was not accustom to. "What the hell was that for!" she glowered at him in sleep haze as she looked up from the floor to the bed where Natsu's pink haired head was leaning over.

"You were hogging the blankets," he answered simply.

"So you threw me off the bed!"

"It was an accident!" he rolled his eyes with a slight smile. Lucy could be vicious, yes, but she was always cute when she was angry.

"Well, then, fine," she snapped, hoisting herself up to her feet and grabbing her fleece away from the bed. "I'm going to get some _peaceful_ sleep on the couch then."

She was just about to turn away when she felt Natsu's hand on her arm. She yelped in sudden surprise when he pulled her back down on the bed. She was still clutching onto the blanket as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

Natsu took the blanket away from her and tossed it across the room. He slid his arms around her pulling her close to his warm body and burying his face in her neck. His legs tangled up with hers as Lucy still looked at him with slight surprise.

"Much better," he murmured against her skin.

Lucy settled into his arms by wrapping hers around him as well. Now that was something even the blanket hog couldn't deny.

**These first ones are really short but I have a longer one I am editing right now that is longer :D**

**~Lyssa**


	3. Coming Home

**Quick note: I wrote this before I was even caught up in the anime let alone the manga (which I'm still not caught up in). It is a post-series story but I don't really know how the characters and storyline is doing past episode 113. Please forgive anything that isn't canon for I don't really know what psot series canon would be yet ^^**

_Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is Hiro Mashima's. I would have made Natsu and Lucy canon by now._

**_Coming Home_  
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**Pairings: **Natsu/Lucy

**Timeline: **Post ep113

**Rating: **K+

**Dedication: **Can you guess? Kat requested Natsu/Lucy as a prompt!

Natsu didn't particularly mind the cold. It's not like it really affected him in anyway. He could probably run around outside in the snow wearing practically nothing and be fine. Except for being compared to Gray, and that is not something he ever wanted. What did bother him was when it was snowing so hard he could barely make out the outline of his town. Where he hadn't been in three months, and was quite looking forward to going home. It had been snowing for most of his trip back into Magnolia; the snow on the ground was beginning to reach his calves. Still, it wasn't that bad.

A burst of snow hit him in the face. The 25 year old Dragon Slayer grumbled as he went to wipe the wet substance off his face. Despite the inconvenience of weather being irritating and the wind pushing on him, Natsu was still determined to get to his house. This stupid storm would keep him. Three months was a long time to be away and to be alone. He had opted to take this mission by himself, without even Happy's help. No one had been thrilled by his choice but he did it anyway.

Lights shown through the windows of familiar houses and buildings as Natsu passed through town. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the relief only home could bring. He hadn't expected anyone to be out in the streets at this time of night even on a good day yet even just the shadows of people in the windows made the man feel comforted. The snow was starting to swirl heavily again.

"Hey!" a voice cut through the storm causing Natsu to blink through the white blurs. He hadn't noticed before but there was now the shadow of a person standing a little ways in front of him. The jacket of the figure was blowing back in the wind causing the easily recognizable color of skin to be seen. If Natsu had any doubts of who it was, and he didn't, that was the dead giveaway. "Welcome back, moron."

Natsu scoffed. "Some welcome they give me. Of all the people, I get you?"

Gray turned away from him, not seeming phased by his friend. "Come one, I'm taking you to the guild."

"I don't think so," Natsu stood firm in the snow. "I'm going home. Whatever it is can wait."

"You are coming with me, Natsu," Gray glanced back through the snow. "The guild is closer and Master specifically asked me to come out here and bring you back."

The Dragon Slayer's shoulders slumped. "Fine," he grumbled and dragged his feet behind Gray as they began to walk the short distance to the guild.

"I'll make sure you get home as soon as you can," Gray looked over to the disgruntled man beside him.

Natsu raised an eyebrow at Gray's face which he couldn't help but noticed had grown a bit softer.

"Considering you were the one stupid enough to come back in the middle of the biggest storm we have seen in years," Gray snapped his head back around looking slightly disgruntled himself.

"I came home when I was finished! I don't care if it's the end of the world kind of storm!"

Much to the man's surprise Gray didn't argue back, he just laughed. "Do you know how quiet it's been without you around?"

Natsu blinked. "I'm guessing extremely?"

Gray swung the ever familiar doors of the Fairy Tail Guild open, causing the light to stream out into the moonless night. "Extremely," he nodded with a smile giving Natsu a slap on the back. The pink haired man squinted at the sudden brightness having been traveling in the dark for quite some time.

"Will you, just come in, you are letting in all the cold," a female voice snarled before Gray pushed the still somewhat blind Natsu into the warmth of the Guild as he shut the doors behind him. He rubbed his eyes a few times before looking into the basically empty room. Cana was growling at him from the bar, while Mirajane and Makarov smiled pleasantly at their member come home.

"I take it all went well, Natsu?" the longtime master grinned down at Natsu.

"Went just fine," he nodded with a pat to his pack as he headed up to the bar.

"Let me make you something to drink!" Mirajane bubbled over with happiness as her fingers quickly mixed something together.

"Really, its okay," Natsu tried to get her to stop but she already had a steaming drink on the table. He couldn't very well say no to that face. He pulled out the stool next to Cana and sat down while Gray leaned up against the counter. "You wanted to talk to me, old man?"

"Normally, I would have it wait but given the extremity of the mission I wanted to discuss it with you right away," Makarov turned his head to the man next to him.

Natsu nodded unenthusiastically as his head slipped down into his arm on the table. "Sure, sure."

"Buck up, Kid," Cana kicked his bar stool causing Natsu to jolt up in his seat. "What's one more hour going to do?"

Makarov let out a laugh seeming too deep for his size. "You haven't changed one bit over the years have you, Natsu?"

The pink haired man was about to open his mouth in defense of himself.

"Natsu Dragneel!" a sudden voice roared as the doors swung open with a crash. The guild members practically jumped out of their skin at the tone of the already quite loud female.

"He is back for five minutes and the noise returns," Gray sighed from his side of the bar causing Mirajane to choke back a laugh.

Natsu turned slowly in his chair to face the doors He had no doubt knew who it was.

There in the doorway stood Lucy. Her chest was heaving from obviously storming out of her house and running the whole way. Her cheeks were stained red from the cold or from anger, Natsu couldn't tell. There was a layer of snow covering her blonde hair and shoulders, her jacket not even buttoned up as it blew around in the wind. She was even still in her pajamas, boots thrown on her feet, the laces hanging in the snow covered ground. Her face was furious as she stared him down from across the room.

"You," she pointed dangerously at him. "I cannot believe you!"

Despite the fact the woman look like she wanted to kill him, he had to smile. He had never been more happy to see her angry, because he was simply seeing her.

"You are gone for months without a single word!" she began to stalk towards him, her finger still angrily shaking at the pink haired man. "No concern for anyone who might have been worried about you! No care to let us know if you were even still alive because you had to go all noble and take a quest by yourself even though there were plenty of people willing to go with you but no Natsu is better than everyone and doesn't need any help and he doesn't care if he has people waiting up every night for him to come home safe and..."

By the time Lucy had made it to the middle of the room, Natsu really wasn't paying much attention to what she was shouting about. His legs lifted him up on their own till he was standing in front of the bar. Lucy was still coming at him, her mouth moving frantically. She was shivering; it could have been in anger but he thought more or less it was because she was cold. She always got cold far too easily. She should have at least got dressed; she must have been livid when she left.

"…and then you come home in the middle of the night in a snowstorm and come straight to the guild!" her voice filled his mind once more as she got right up next to him. "Are you even listening to me?" Lucy snarled before pounding her fisted hands on his chest. "Stop smiling at me! Do you even c-"

Natsu effectively cut off the blonde's rant by wrapping his arms around her body and pressing his lips firmly to hers. He had to stop himself from laughing at her stifled squeal of surprise. He felt her eyelashes flutter close against his face as she melted into the warmth she hadn't felt in three antagonizingly long months. Her skin goose bumped as his hands held her tighter to his body, her fingers curled around his shirt where her hands were trapped, her mouth still moving furiously with his. Natsu momentarily forgot where he was; nothing else really mattered. Three months was much too long. His hand moved up her back and was soon tangled in her thick blonde hair. He moved his mouth to deepen the kiss when a deep clearing of a throat snap the two out of their haze.

"Happy to be home, Natsu?" Makarov smiled slyly at that pair still entangled in each other.

The Dragon Slayer smiled widely as he glanced down at Lucy's flushed face. "Extremely," he moved his hands back her back before reaching down and scooping her up in his arms causing the Spirit Mage to squeal slightly. "Sorry, old man, this conversation will have to wait till later. I'm going home."

"Yes, please, leave," Gray snorted walking a head of them to help in the weather. "You are like two teenagers still."

Natsu still has his eyes on Makarov.

"Yes, go, I'll see you in the morning," Markarov dramatically rolled his eyes before waving the man off.

Lucy snuggled into his chest to brace herself for the cold as they stepped back outside.

"I missed you, Luce."

"I missed you too, you big jerk."

**I actually love this one. I might right more in this style since it's kind of my head canon at the moment. That might change the farther I get though since I think I'm missing something big...that is coming up soon in the anime...This also the last of my pre-written drabbles. I have three in the works that I will post whenever they get finished!**

**~Lyssa**


	4. You Don't Know

**I am warning you right now. This is very fluffy. This IT'S SO FLUFFY fluffy. I can't even help it. If it explains any this was inspired by One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful". It's impossible to be inspired by that song and not write fluffy story. I tried to write Natsu in a different way than I had been so I hope it works and that he isn't out of character! If he is then I'm just going to have to work on it some more. My head canon for Lisanna is in here as well, which I will explain at the end ^^ So enjoy!**

_Disclaimer: Still don't own Fairy Tail. You probably wouldn't want me to own it either ;D_**  
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**Pairings: **Natsu/Lucy

**Timeline: **After Edolas and before Tenrou Island

**Rating: **K+ for some mild language

**Dedication: **Inspired by One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful"

****_You Don't Know_****

Natsu leaned back in his char, the hustle and bustle of Fairy Tail lost on him. He was aware, of course. He noticed Lisanna talking actively with Levy next to him. Cana had just thrown a bar stool at Macao. Gray was in the process of tossing bits of food into Natsu's drink. People were shouting and laughing. Chattering voices cut through the air all around him. Natsu watched his friends interact with each other but didn't have much to say. The Dragon Slayer would simply lean back in his chair and peer over at the wooden double doors every so often. Over the rambunctious guild members, the pink haired boy's ears picked up on the familiar sound of the opening of doors. He leaned back so fast to get a better view that he almost fell flat on his ass.

"Hey, Mira! Another round of drinks!" shouted Max as he walked in. Another cheer went up.

Natsu huffed as the chair hit the ground. He rested his chin on his arms in defeat. He hated that he couldn't stop staring at the doors. He hated even more when someone opened the doors. "What do you want, Lisanna?" he growled when he felt his old friend's blue eyes on him.

"Waiting for someone?" she smiled innocently.

It was a friendly smile, Natsu decided inwardly while looking up at her. Sometimes he couldn't always tell what girls were up to behind their smiles. A friendly smile, yes, but there was a slightly devious glint in her large eyes. No one could blame him for being suspicious.

"Well, yeah," his dark eyes still eyed her curiously.

"Happy?" Gray guessed since he had noticed the absence of the blue exceed.

Natsu shook his head. "He's around here somewhere. He was being pretty vague about it though. I just assumed it had to do with Charle."

"Lucy, then?" Levy piped in from the other side of Lisanna. "I haven't seen her all morning."

"I went to her house to get her but she said she wasn't ready and to go ahead," Natsu shrugged seemingly unconcerned. The door opened once more and he was back on the heels of his chair. Still no sign of the blond. This time when he looked back at his table both Lisanna and Levy were giggling to each other. He raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," the script mage dismissed with a wave of her hand.

Natsu still watched the girls carefully. Something was up; he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"So how long have you been waiting?" Gray munched on his sandwich not really paying full attention to anyone.

"Twenty minutes," Natsu groaned as his head hit the table.

"You have a mission, huh," the ice mage managed, his mouth full of food.

"Uh," the young dragon slayer slowly lifted his head off the table. "Well no."

That was the wrong thing to say apparently. Lisanna and Levy exchanged one of those looks that only girls understand making him feel rather on edge. Oh, they were up to something alright.

"Why so anxious then?"

"She's my friend, Lisanna. Why wouldn't I want to see her," he grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest defensively. It was becoming clearer that the girls were trying to imply something here. He felt the strong urge to look away from their smirking faces. The doors once again opening causing his eyes to dart that way. "What's taking her so long anyway?"

Levy shrugged in response. "Girls typically take a long time, just the way it is."

"Have to make sure we always look beautiful before leaving the house which can be a process," added Lisanna with a roll of the eyes. "At least, according to Mira."

Natsu snorted, the heels of his chair crashing against the hardwood floor once more. "Lucy doesn't need any of that."

That got a reaction. The boy wasn't even quite sure what he had said to cause it; he only said the truth but now not only was Lisanna and Levy staring at him but Gray as well.

"What?" he mumbled suddenly feeling uncomfortable under the stares.

Levy leaned forward towards him. "Just what do you mean by that?" she prodded gently.

"I only mean that Lucy doesn't need to do anything to make herself beautiful, she just is," he answered honestly still watching his three friends carefully.

"Have you ever told her that?" Levy pressed again careful not to annoy the hot tempered mage.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why would I need to do that?"

"Are you legitimately that clueless?" Gray snapped his head up from his drink. "Even you can't be that stupid."

"I'm not stupid," Natsu grunted sending a kick at Gray's legs. The blue haired mage easily caught Natsu's foot and shoved it away. "I just didn't think I ever needed to tell Lucy."

Three pairs of eyes still clung to him. He was getting rather sick of this. "What!" he erupted, throwing his hands up in the air. "Lucy is so obviously beautiful I didn't think anyone needed to tell her. A blind person could tell just by being near her."

The table was silent for a moment after his outburst. Natsu crossed his arms again looking sullenly at the others. He didn't know why they were all making a big deal out of this.

"Natsu," Levy spoke causing him to look over at her softened eyes. "I don't think Lucy knows that."

A confused look crossed his face. That wasn't even possible. Before he could open his mouth to protest how the hell she couldn't know, the creaking of the wooden doors sounded. His hands were down on the table pushing himself back yet again. This time though he was rewarded with the sight of blond hair. "Lucy!" he shouted over the loud guild to get the celestial mage's attention. She heard him alright; her eyes searched for the source of the dragon slayer's voice. Natsu raised a hand to wave at her but in the process finally lost balance on his chair.

Gray didn't even pretend not to laugh as Natsu hit the ground. "That's what you get for being so damn impatient."

Natsu ignored him. "Took you long enough," he grinned up as Lucy approached him. She was at least trying not to laugh.

Lucy picked up the fallen chair as Natsu jumped to his feet. "Come on, Natsu, you know very well that 'I'll be right there' means 'I'll be there when I'm done'." She took her seat on the bench next to Gray to greet her other friends but they all looked away with guilty eyes. She raised an eyebrow. "Hello to you too."

"Oh, Lucy!" Levy exclaimed like something just came back to her mind. She slapped her hands on the table making Natsu jump slightly. The small mage broke into a story about the book she was reading. Lisanna leaned over to listen as well while Gray chose to go back to eating, zoning out some.

Natsu had to admit he felt much better now that Lucy was here; he didn't feel the need to stare at the door anymore. Normally when Lucy was around all other anxiety went away considering the most of his weariness came from worrying about his partner when she wasn't there. She was a very capable mage of course, but that didn't mean he didn't like to look after his friend. Which he told himself was completely normal. Yet, today the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach wouldn't go away. Levy's words lay heavy on him as he watched Lucy talk to the girls. It just wasn't possible for one of the prettiest girls he had ever met to not know how beautiful she was. Natsu might have been dense but it wasn't like he didn't have eyes. Anyone could see her charm. And they did. And they told him all the time about the beauty of his blond partner much to his annoyance. He watched everyone stare at her when they were out so he knew the attention she got but it wasn't like he _enjoyed_ hearing about it from them as well. With a slight growl, he went to look away when a quick movement caught his eyes. Lucy had moved her hand to adjust her hair. Not that it was anything new, the boy always noticed girls doing that. As he kept his dark eyes on her though, he noticed that her fingers kept fidgeting as she sat there. She would adjust her skirt, fix her shirt, play with her hair more. Natsu had never even noticed before. She was constantly making sure she looked perfect at all times. She had no idea. The Dragon Slayer was never one to not say what was on his mind and this was no exception.

"You really don't know, do you?"

Again all eyes went to him but his remained solely on Lucy.

"Don't know what?" the blond asked looking at him oddly but shying away from his intense stare.

Natsu jumped out of his chair and pushed himself in between Gray and Lucy.

"Hey! Watch it, moron!" Gray hissed as he tried not to fall off the edge.

Lucy moved back slightly as Natsu straddled the wooden bench, fully facing her.

He gave her one more serious stare before his mouth twitched into a smile. "Well, you have an awesome body, everyone can see that," he began still looking at her straight in the eye.

Gray spit out whatever was in his mouth over the table clearly not expecting that. Neither was anyone for that matter. Lisanna and Levy needed someone to come pick their jaws off the floor.

"What are you playing at?" Lucy's face had turned a nice shade of red as his words hit her.

Natsu didn't show one ounce of embarrassment as he raised a finger to tap his chin, his eyes never leaving her. "While I don't particularly having to beat off every man who stares at your assets, I can't say that I mind the view."

Lucy stopped moving all together. In fact, she seemed to have stopped breathing as well. Her wide eyes just started at him.

The fire Dragon Slayer reached a hand to brush a lock of hair out of her face, causing a hitch in the girl's breath. "You have the perfect hair color. It's like looking at the sun every time you are around." He trailed his hand down her cheek. Lucy quickly looked away feeling her blush deepen even more but Natsu pulled her chin back to face him. "Your smile not only lights up your face but the entire room when you walk in. But," he leaned in ever so slightly causing the blond's skin to goose-bumps when she felt his warm breath on her face. He dropped his hand down her neck to her upper chest. "What is most important is your heart. The one everyone can see in your eyes all the time." He put his hand down on his knees, still watching the motionless girl. "I just don't get it, Luce," he spoke softly to just her, no one else.

"Don't get what?" she spoke breathlessly.

A smile crossed his face once more as he leaned in to tap his forehead against hers. "That you don't know how beautiful you are, weirdo." He heard her gasp before he jumped up to his feet only to see most of the entire guild watching him. Natsu glanced back over at Lucy who was still staring at him with wide eyes and a hand clapped over her mouth.

"Well, come on," the pink haired mage gestured for her to get up. "Let's go pick out a mission and go find Happy." He extended his hand to her. The guild was still watching them; Natsu could feel their eyes but he didn't really care all that much anymore. Lucy silently took his hand and let him lift her to her feet. He didn't let go until she was walking by his side. He playfully pushed her with his shoulder causing the celestial mage to giggle.

Murmurs in the room started back up as the drinking resumed, a new topic of gossip floating around.

"Well, shit," Gray snarled as he tossed his never to be finished sandwich on the plate causing Lisanna and Levy to be snapped out of their shocked haze. The ice mage crossed his arms while he watched his two friends argue over a mission. "Who knew that dumbass could actually be smooth."

**Heavy on the fluff, this I know lol A few notes. I really don't think Natsu is as naive as he may act. Though even I think I wrote him some out of character since I don't think he would be that mushy but that is where my mind took me so I went there. Hopefully I made it work. About Lisanna, I know a lot of people use her to come between Natsu and Lucy but honestly, I don't see that. I know Natsu/Lucy isn't canon...yet XD But I am fully caught up in the anime, not the manga yet, and I don't really see any feelings between Lisanna and Natsu. Even I thought Mashima might play that up but I haven't seen any evidence of it. So I think if she noticed Natsu liked Lucy, she'd want him to be happy ^^ Just how I feel about it! I really hope you guys liked my fluff fest :D**

**~Lyssa**


	5. The Sweetest Sounds

**I honestly don't know what goes on in this mind of mine sometimes but this plot bunny attacked me last night and would not leave me alone until I wrote it down. Now, it's incredibly _Cinderella_-y mainly because I was listening to Rodger's and Hammerstein's _Cinderella_ when all these scenes started popping in my head. I apologize for being pretty cheesy like that XD Essentially, it is kind of a crossover drabble. **

_Disclaimer: I really, really don't own Fairy Tail. Nor do I own any form of Cinderella. I do own the opinion that Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella is the best Cinderella. Second only to Sondheim's Into the Woods Cinderella. Yeah. I'm a theatre nerd I know._

**Pairings: **Natsu/Lucy

**Timeline: **Alternative Universe/Crossover with Rodger's and Hammerstein's_ Cinderella_

**Rating: **K

**Dedication: **Inspired by _The Sweetest Sounds _from Rodger's and Hammerstein's_ Cinderella_

_**The Sweetest Sounds**_

Natsu Dragneel absolutely despised being cooped up inside all day long, despite was his parents thought. It was a constant game he played with the guards to see how fast he could avoid them and get away into the village below his home. It normally didn't take long; the castle guards weren't very bright. The pink haired teen followed the cobblestone road that led right into the market. The voices of the villagers rose high in the air. The smells of fresh bread, of flowers, of fresh fruits and vegetables filled the young prince's nose like nothing else could. The dirt from the carriages blew up by him but he paid no mind. Before being adopted by the Royal family, Natsu spent all his time on the streets of the village. Sometimes he still felt more at home here than in the vast, stuffy castle. This is why he would shed the fancy clothes and robes for some old clothing he took from one of the servants and sneak into the crowded village.

"Excuse me, young man!" a voice called after him as he passed one of the carts.

"Vegetables for sale!" hollered another one.

"Might I interest you in some flowers for the handsome man?" a female flower vender waved over.

Natsu simply smiled and continued walking. He placed his hands behind his head and continued down the street. The colorful venders were still shouting and the people were bustling all around him. Natsu realized it was a matter of time before his mother found out he was missing, yet again, causing him to be in trouble, yet again, but it was worth it to be free under the clear blue skies. He supposed he shouldn't complain. Both he and the girl who had become his younger sister were adopted by the great King Igneel and Queen Grandine all of whom he loved and was grateful for. It was just so boring sometimes. The teenager let out a content yawn when something caught the corner of his eye.

Curled up in a nearby alleyway was a small blue animal. Natsu couldn't tell but it kind of looked like a cat. With soft footsteps he walked over to where the animal resided. Despite the loud noise of the market, the little thing wasn't moving from its spot. The prince crouched down from a short distance and stretched out his hand to make the now quite obvious cat was okay. The cat should have run off at the touch of his hand but instead the dark blue animal simple mewed and yawned.

"Hey, little guy," Natsu scratched the top of the very friendly cat's head. The animal purred as it nuzzled its head into his hand causing the boy to chuckle. "Why don't you come home with me, my sister would love a pet."

The cat's ears perked up as its body stiffened.

Natsu knew that feeling. "You like living on the streets, huh? Can't say I blame you sometimes but it's not all bad. What do you say?" He felt kind of like an idiot asking a cat for its opinion but the cat did seem pretty smart. Well, smart for a cat.

The animal sat back on its haunches, almost as if it was contemplating an answer. Or Natsu just thought he could be going completely insane. Without a word the cat dove into the busy street.

"Hey!" the pink haired teen called after it as the cat nearly got squished by a carriage. Rather than seeing it get killed Natsu decided to chase after the cat. He kept his eyes on the blue cat even as the crowd got thicker. There was just something in his body that told him to keep going and he really didn't need an excuse to run through the streets just like any normal kid would. Ahead of him he could see the cat perched on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the square. Its eyes watched him as he got closer. Natsu smirked to himself despite feeling a little out of breath as he reached the less crowded area and the cat. He took one last running step into the open area and felt his own body colliding with another person. It took the young man a moment as he skidded to a stop that there was someone on the ground in front of him and it was his fault.

"I'm so sorry," was out of his mouth before the situation became even clear. He glanced over at the fountain. The cat was gone. There were all kinds of bags and boxes were all around him as his eyes found the girl he knocked over. She looked a little confused herself as she looked up at Natsu. "Let me help you," he fumbled in a very un-princely manner as he crouched to the ground and attempted to pick up the fallen bags.

"No, please, it's okay," came her voice causing his eyes to meet hers.

Natsu took in the sight before him. He had just run over one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen and he had seen a lot, thanks to visiting debutantes and his mother's insistence that he see every single one. This girl was just so simple with her blond hair, her large brown eyes, and her plain dress but there was something about her. Natsu barely even noticed when she began to pick up her bags. "Really, I am sorry," he jumped to help her once more.

"Really, it's okay," her voice sounded amused as she piled the boxes and bags into her arms before he could grab anymore than the one he already had in his hands. She gently lifted herself to her feet, careful not to drop a thing. "It was my fault, I should have been more careful."

Natsu slowly stood up still holding the one package in his hand. "I was actually the one who ran into you, you know."

She poked her head from over a box. "Could I have my box, please, so I can be on my way." Her eyes looked anxious but Natsu didn't want her to leave. He felt at ease being with someone his age for once. It helped that she was beautiful as well.

"Why don't you give me some of those, I can help you carry them home. I have nothing else to do," Natsu reached out to take something from her but she immediately backed away from him.

"My box, please?"

Quite clearly the girl did not want to anything to do with him, not that he blamed her. He probably wouldn't like the person that ran into him. "Not until you tell me your name so I can properly apologize," he grinned at her, crossing his arms to try a new tactic to get the stranger to stay.

The blond eyed him carefully but the twitch of her lips into a slight smile gave her away. "Okay," she answered slowly. "Go ahead and try."

Natsu felt his stomach jump some when she agreed. "I wonder where even to begin," he contemplated aloud his brow furrowing some in concentration.

The brown eyed girl kept her eyes on him from over her bags.

"Well, you are going to have to put all that stuff down so I can estimate better," Natsu told her with a nod.

She hesitated for a moment again, like she was unsure if this was really a good idea, but still slowly lowered her packages to the ground.

"Much better," the pink haired prince noted with a grin. He slowly stepped towards her, like he did with the cat, afraid that she would run but the girl stood her ground, her own arms now crossed across her chest, which Natsu couldn't help but note was very plentiful. "The blond hair makes me want to say Molly?" he voiced his first guess still approaching her.

"No," the girl shook her head.

"Yeah, I didn't think so either," Natsu began to walk around her, taking in all angles while the girl's eyes never left his face. "Maybe something a bit more elegant? Like Andreanna?"

She winced.

"Yeah, you don't look like the elegant type."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!" she snapped, her hands ending up on her hips in anger.

Natsu laughed as he faced her again. He wasn't expecting that sudden change but he most definitely like it. "Fiery as well. Maybe Kate?"

The girl was still glaring at him.

"Okay," he knew this was impossible from all the names in the world but the longer she would stay the better he felt. He did need a new way to go about this though. "Let me see your hands."

The blond just started at him, her hands still firmly on her hips.

"Come on," Natsu extended one of his hands to her, a warm smile on his face as he bent down to place the box next to his feet.

She slowly placed her hand in his; seeming like she wanted to play along more.

The pink haired boy took his other hand and ran his finger tips over her soft skin. His dark eyes were focused on her hand but he could feel her eyes on him. He examined her hand closely with both his own hand and his eyes. After a few seconds, he noticed something rather peculiar. "I found your secret," Natsu grinned over at her.

"Oh really now," she drawled, a smile on her own face.

He held up one of her fingers. "You are a writer. I'd recognize the ink stains and calluses anywhere. My mom writes too."

The girl was quite obviously taken back as she blinked at him. "Well, y-yeah," she sputtered, her resistance to him dropping altogether.

"Maybe an author's name then?" Natsu didn't let go of her hand. "Mary? Eleanor? Christina? Emily? Anything?"

She was still staring at him in slight awe. "You have quite the knowledge of female writers."

"My mom made me read them," Natsu rolled his eyes playfully. "I take it none of those are it?"

The girl shook her head but this time she was genuinely smiling. "Maybe I should be asking who _you_ are instead."

"That wasn't the deal," he had noticed some stray hairs had fallen into her face. He took his hand and brushed them back behind her ear. "Luceilia," he muttered slightly as it came into his head. He wasn't quite sure where it came from but he wasn't sure where any of this meeting was coming from to begin with.

The girl gasped so slightly that Natsu almost missed it. Her brown eyes were wide as he let his hand trail across her chin and fall back to his side. "Close enough," she smiled kindly before taking her hand back and picking up the box Natsu had almost forgotten he placed on the ground. She added it to her pile as she gathered it all back into her arms.

The prince just watched her knowing there was nothing more he could do to make her stay. "It was nice meeting you, 'Luceilia'," he bowed slightly.

The blond giggled and returned his bow with as much of a curtsy she could mange with all her packages. "I return the sentiments, good sir," and with that she turned to leave.

Lucy Heartfilia absolutely despised leaving her home. She couldn't abide being forced outside in the crowded market by her family; she much preferred being alone in her room with her own stories and books. Yet, as Lucy walked across the square, packages in hand, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe coming outside every now and then wasn't so bad. She turned her head back just enough for her eyes to see the mysterious pink haired man getting lost in the market crowd. Lucy couldn't help but stare after him. She was never really spoken to outside her own family, and let alone by boys. They always came calling for her sisters, never her. They were always fake anyway, and only wanted to be with her sisters for the money. This man though, he didn't even know who she was. He was kind to her just because she was herself. Well, and because he ran into her. With a silly grin ever she couldn't hide, Lucy continued back to the store she had left.

"Lucy!" a voice called out causing the blond to turn her head quickly. Standing outside a nearby store were two girls dressed in elegant clothing, both with grins and matching white hair. "I'm so glad we found you," the younger one continued. "Mother would have been furious if she found you missing like that."

Lucy couldn't help but grimace at her stepsister's implication; her stepmother was not the kindest lady in the world. Not even close. After her own mother died, her father, head of the Heartfilia household, had remarried a woman he might love but one Lucy sure didn't.

"We would have covered for you, of course, but one can only do so much with her," the oldest rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Lucy! You don't have to carry those. Let me take some."

"Of course, so silly of mother to make you carry them. Hand me some too."

Lucy did feel lucky for her siblings through; they treated her like she was really their sister. The young woman was about to tell them that she was fine when the shop door slammed shut.

"Mirajane, Lisanna, leave Lucy alone," a stern voice called, drawing the three girls' attentions. Mrs. Angeline Heartfilia brushed by them without even stopping to acknowledge a single one of her children. "Come along, we have more shops to visit. Girls, come up here and walk with your mother."

The two sisters muttered their apologies to Lucy and begrudgingly took their places on either side of their mom. Lucy really didn't mind, it's not like she wasn't used to being the errand girl. As long as her stepmother didn't bother her at home, she was fine. The wind blew warmly around them as Angeline talked aimlessly to Mira and Lisanna about the benefits of a good man and royalty and the same old same old Lucy had to hear without actually ever being addressed; unless it was to be asked to get more tea. As she looked around the shopping areas, trying to let her mind take her away from reality, she swore she saw a flash of pink out of the corner of her eye in a nearby alleyway. She felt her heart start to race as she whipped her head around. No one was there, only a small blue cat sat there watching her with golden eyes. Lucy shook her head foolishly to herself. A man she didn't even know and would never know again. She couldn't help but grin. Yes, maybe going out wasn't that bad after all.

**There was no way I could ever make Mira and Lisanna evil stepsisters. So they are nice XD Anywho, this was pretty much a blatant crossover. Which I am cool with. I almost made Lucy the Princess and have Natsu be the Cinderella character but I don't know, I just wanted to mix it up I guess. Sorry if they are out of character! I mean, it's an AU so Natsu was raised completely different then he is in Fairy Tail, thus having a bit more elegance. I would also like to mention the personification of Igneel and Grandine. Kaori-chan2 did it in the story "Honey, Honey" and I loved it. So that is what inspired me to do it here and I wanted to credit the inspiration ^^ I'm not sure if anyone else has gone that route but they are the only one I have ever seen to do it.**

**If anyone liked this world and crossover idea, I totally have some more planned out lol If not this can be left as a cheesy one shot drabble. So let me know what you think!**

**~Lyssa**


	6. The Sweetest Sounds II

**It's been almost a year since I updated anything [/hangs head in shame]. But I hope I still have some people who like this story! :D Here is the second out of three parts Cinderella crossover. Its kinda the middle of it so some plot moving and whatnot, the next one will be the good one I promise! I also promise not to make people wait a year for it. I hope you enjoy!**

__Disclaimer: I really, really don't own Fairy Tail. Nor do I own any form of Cinderella. I just like writing crossovers!__

**_The Sweetest Sounds II_**

Natsu had reentered the castle with as much difficulty as when he left. He sometimes wondered if his father purposely didn't have the guards up to par so the palace could be more laid back. There was only one man Natsu had to watch to look out for; he could catch the young prince at anything, every single time. The pink haired boy learned quickly though to run off when the Captain was either asleep or talking with women. Natsu rolled his dark eyes at the thought. He walked down the empty halls with his hands in his pockets, waiting for anyone to just come out and catch him. His mother and father surely knew he was missing by now and the clothes he was still wearing gave him away completely.

As if on cue a small voice squealed around the corner. "There you are, my prince."

Natsu looked down the hallway he had just past to see a young maid holding a large basket of various clothes.

"Your parents request your presence. We've all been looking for you," the girl bowed slightly.

"Thank you," he answered with a sigh before she scurried away down yet another hallway. The young man continued on his original path; he had already been on his way to his parent's quarters. The instant the guards saw Natsu approach the ornate doors they automatically stepped aside and swung the doors open with no questions. The young prince nodded his thanks to the two guards he considered to be at least useful ones, before stepping inside the large room.

"Well, look who is back from their daily escapade," a deep voice chuckled through the room.

"It's not daily," Natsu grumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly at his father's voice. He was the only one who could still make him feel like a little boy.

The mighty Igneel was sitting comfortable in an arm chair with a large book in his lap. His long legs were reclined in front of him, red hair sticking up at all angels as if he had just rolled out of bed, an amused look on his face as he arched an eyebrow at his son's response.

"More like monthly," the boy shrugged, a small smile gracing his lips.

Igneel laughed aloud, shaking his head before picking up his book once more. "You are going to give your mother a heart attack one of these days, Natsu."

"Natsu!" a female voice called from the next room the instant she heard Igneel say the name. In a flash, long blue hair flew through the air and the boy found Grandine holding him tightly. "You have to stop this!" the Queen cried pulling herself away but keeping her hands on his shoulders. "Something could have happened to you!" her deep blue eyes were full of concern as she looked up slightly at Natsu who was getting to be taller than her.

"Ma," Natsu muttered feeling embarrassed as her eyes continued to scan over him to make sure everything was okay. "I'm fine. I'm always fine." He tried to move away but her grip was far too strong. The prince could hear Igneel still laughing over in his chair.

"I don't know why you feel the need to put yourself in danger. Why don't you just take some of the guards with you? It would make us all feel so much better."

The pink haired prince resisted, very hard, not to roll his eyes. "I don't need them. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. In a market place."

"Mind your mother, Natsu," Igneel, without actually looking up from his book, cut in before Grandine could go off once more about saving their children from the dangers of the world.

Grandine let out a deep sigh before letting Natsu out of grasp. "I suppose it's okay. Just be careful, dear, or I will have the guards come after you," she turned away from him like she was heading back out of the room.

The young man gaped after his mother. Not once had she ever expressed her blessing with his adventures into town. Something was up. Even Igneel had to look over with suspicious eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with my mom?"

The Queen didn't answer; she simply ran her hands lightly over Igneel's leather chair. She was never good at keeping anything herself. The guilt was practically glowing from her body.

"What aren't you telling me?" Natsu crossed his arms across his chest knowingly. He had seen thins face many times.

Grandine turned back to face her son and opened her mouth but closed it quickly, second guessing what she should say.

"Just tell him, Grandine," the red haired king cleared his throat turning back to his reading.

"Tell me what?" Natsu arched his eye brows at his mother.

"Well, you see," the blue haired Queen started, her voice not as strong as normal, clearly giving away she was indeed hiding something. "We are just worried about your age. You are turning eighteen this year, Natsu, and-"

"No, Ma, we've been over this," the pink haired boy threw his hands up in exasperation. "I don't want to get married anytime soon."

"Not get married!" Grandine reached out to him till her hand was back on his shoulder. "But you have to at least start looking! Just listen, dear," she begged him with her eyes.

If there was one thing the prince couldn't do, it was say no to his mother. "Fine," he grunted, his arms crossed once more, and dark eyes narrowed.

The Queen brought her other hand up to his shirt to smooth out some of the wrinkles he had caused. "Well, we sort of planned a ball for you. The entire town is invited and debutantes from surrounding towns as well," she looked away from Natsu's stare. She really didn't like to make her son upset with all this talk, it's not like she wanted her only son married away but it was something that needed to be at least thought of, for the sake of the country. Igneel had curiously looked over to see how the always dreaded talk was going.

Typically, Natsu would be sulking out of the room right about now. If there wasn't anything he hated more than talking about marriage it was balls. Talk about the most boring thing of his life. It was the "entire town" part that caught his attention. "All of the town is invited?" Natsu asked in a surprisingly calm voice shocking not only his mother but his father as well.

"Well, yes," Grandine blinked, scanning his face for any sign of impending outburst. "Are you…are you okay with this, Natsu?"

The pink haired prince shrugged slightly, his mother's hands falling to her sides in surprise. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

For once in her life, Grandine was stunned into silence. She opened her mouth a few times but nothing was coming out at all. She was saved by the doors slowly opening, signaling the entrance of only one person.

"Your Majesties," a deep voice rumbled through the room. "I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"Of course not, Gildarts," the King was the first to response to the man bowing to them from the doorway. "Grandine was just talking with Natsu about this coming weekend."

Captain of the Guard, Gildarts Clive raised his head with a devilish smile right at the young prince. "There you are, Prince! Just the man I was looking for."

Natsu couldn't help but grimace. His parents wouldn't punish him but Gildarts sure would. It was his favorite thing in life.

"Ah, so you told him about the ball," the red haired man was smiling at the king and queen but the prince knew far better than that. He was up to something for sure. "Well, since he is so eager to be one of the village folk, I bet he would just love to help with all the preparations. Aye, Prince?"

"What a wonderful idea, Gildarts," Igneel winked at his son, knowing far too well the cat and mouse relationship Natsu and his Captain had.

Smirk still in place, the red haired captain gestured for the boy to move out of the room in front of him. Natsu had no choice but to oblige by his parent's wishes. With hunched shoulders, the boy slowly made his way to the door.

"You seem to keep forgetting you can't outsmart me, kid," the captain of the guard chuckled ruffling the prince's pink hair as the large doors shut behind them.

Natsu begged to differ.

* * *

><p>Lucy loved her room more than any other place she had ever known. The lock on the door was also a plus. It was her place to escape from the world around her and just be and feel like herself for once. Her notebook was open wide on her small desk; a breeze blew through the open window bringing in all the fresh smells of spring into her room. With a content sigh, Lucy tapped her pen and gazed out the window with her chin propped up in her hand. She still couldn't stop thinking about her encounter in the marketplace. The blonde knew she was being stupid by not letting it go but it was hard not to when such a kind person had crossed her path. She wanted nothing more than to be able to see him again, to talk to him, to learn his name but her heart sank at the realization that would never happen. It was bad enough she only got to leave the house to go shopping with her stepmother but this country was a large one, who even knew where he lived.<p>

She shook her head as to chase away all thoughts of the pink haired boy. It was useless to waste her time day dreaming away.

"Okay!" she encouraged herself, turning her eyes back to her notebook.

It wasn't until she put her pen down on the paper that a knock sounded at her door.

"Lucy! Lucy! Open up! Quickly!"

It wasn't uncommon to have one of her stepsisters pounding at her door for refuge but Mira sounded far too excited for wanting simply just to hide.

The girl walked the short distance to the door before flipping the lock and opening the door. She nearly got run over by her two excited sisters in the process.

"What is going on with you two?" Lucy laughed as Mira and Lisanna danced around her room holding one sheet of paper in the air.

"The prince is having a ball!" Mirajane sang happily. "And all the unmarried girls in the town are invited!"

"Imagine the dresses we will get to wear to go!" Lisanna grabbed onto Lucy's hand and pulled her into their dancing circle.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh even more as she got twirled around by her sisters. She managed to snag the paper out from Mira's hands before her eyes quickly skimmed the invitation. It was indeed inviting all the unmarried girls in the town to come to a ball for the prince. It was to find a wife for the prince, but all the unmarried men of the town were also encouraged to come to escort the women through the ball. Lucy's heart raced in anticipation. That could mean, her mysterious boy…he could be there.

Suddenly, the blonde really felt like dancing with her sisters.

"What in goodness name is going on in here!"

That one voice halted all their festivities.

"Look, mother!" Mira gestured for Lucy to hand her the invitation. Being the eldest, she was the one who typically dealt with her mother. "There is a ball, and we are all invited!"

Mrs. Heartfilia looked over the paper before a surprising smile crossed her lips. "Come along then, we must get you girls ready. If anyone is going to marry the prince it's one of my daughters."

Mira bubbled excitedly as she followed the woman out of the door. Lisanna linked arms with Lucy to bring her along with them to pick out ball gowns and prepare for the ball which would take place in just one day, the first day of the weekend.

"I never said she was coming now did I?"

The cold tone shook Lucy out of her excitement as she looked over at her stepmother's harsh face. A silence settled down among the girls.

"But mother, Lucy is unmarried, she is invited to go," Mira spoke softly trying to get her to leave the girl alone for just one day.

Mrs. Heartfilia looked back at the Lucy, who was still arm and arm with Lisanna. The younger Strauss sister held on tight, refusing to let her stepsister go. "Well fine, if you two want to be seen with her that's your own problem. But," she snapped before the girls could breathe a sigh of relief. "I will have a list of chores for you to do, Lucy. And I expect a satisfactory job before you go anywhere."

Lucy merely nodded as she tried to hold in her excitement. It wasn't until the women was gone into her room that Lisanna and Mirajane screamed to loud in happiness that even Elfman had to stick his head out of his room to see what the fuss was about. He could only see Lisanna and Mira hugging Lucy tightly and laughing. With a sigh of "Girls", he shook his head and went back to his room.

The list Lucy got handed later in the day was about as long as she expected to be and by all means almost impossible by the size of the house. Yet that wasn't going to stop her, she was going to that ball by whatever means she could.

Her stepsiblings were in on it as well. They snuck a peak at the list and helped cross of things where they could, as long as their mother wasn't nearby. Lucy cleaned almost every inch of the house, with her siblings cleaning their rooms and other rooms they could clean behind closed doors. She was up late into the night mending clothes, preparing food to freeze, scrubbing places that hadn't been cleaned in years; she even managed to clean the fireplace by herself.

By the time morning broke, Lucy had been sound asleep from exhaustion and still had more to do. Yet when her eyes cracked open she saw the most gorgeous ball grown hanging up on her closet door, no doubt chosen by her sisters. They believed in her and there was no way she was giving up.

Hour by hour she trekked across the house doing laundry, folding towels; she also worked around outside where she watered the flowers, trimmed bushes, planted new flowers, raked the leaves, and weeded the garden beds. The moment finally came just before sunset when she stepped into Mira's room where the two girls had been getting ready for the ball.

"I'm finished," she sighed.

It only took a few moments for her sisters to get her showered and in her dress. While it was clearly not made for her, Mira added ribbon where it needed to be tighter and gave Lucy high heels so it wouldn't be so long on her.

Lucy had never felt more like a princess than when Mirajane stepped aside so Lucy could see herself in the mirror. She had to suppress a giggle. Her mysterious boy wouldn't even recognize her now.

By the time they heard their mother's call to go, Lucy had her blonde hair done up with blue flowers, a full ball down fixed as best they could to her figure, and her little strappy heels so she wouldn't trip. The two sisters were done up similarly in a pale red and dark green. With excited hearts and nonstop chatter the three girls made their way to the carriage where Elfman was waiting. Mirajane skipped out the door, followed by Lisanna, but when Lucy went to walk through, her stepmother blocked the doorway.

"You missed something, young lady," the woman held up Lucy's crossed off list yet there was one thing written at the bottom which clearly was written in haste after Lucy had finished the list.

Anger swelled inside the blonde. There was no way she was letting this get ruined for her. "Now wait just a second, I finished that…" her words were cut off as her heart sank. The carriage holding her sisters was long gone. There was no way she could get there now.

"My daughters dote on you far more than they should. You need to remember your place," Mrs. Heartfilia reached out to grab the flowers from Lucy's hair causing the blonde locks to fall out of place. She grabbed the ribbons and all of Mira's handy working and pulled on it, making the dress once more too big for Lucy.

"Be a good girl and finish that list now, dear," she smiled at the young girl before slamming the door in her face to leave for the carriage that was waiting for her.

It was shock that hit Lucy first as she numbly turned and walked out to the back garden. The moon was high above her head but inside she felt such deviation that she fell to her knees and cried. How could one person be so cruel? Lucy couldn't understand what she had ever done to deserve this. While she always put up with her stepmother, she didn't think it seemed fair at all that she was degraded to a girl crying in a garden with an unwearable dress and no way to get to the ball. It was like all her hopes had been crushed. She would never get another chance to see the one person who had made her happy to be herself for once after all these years. She would be stuck in this house forever.

A small cry surprised Lucy enough to look up. Through her tear filled eyes she could see a small white cat looking at her. It was strange; she normally never saw animals in the yard. "Hello, kitty," Lucy called softly. Maybe a little furry animal to pet might make her feel not so alone and so helpless.

"I think it's time for you to get up on your feet, Lucy Heartfilia, and stop crying," the white cat responded.

Lucy let out a scream and fell backwards.

The cat titled its head at her. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Well, Charle," another cat sighed walking on both legs towards the other cat. "Normally humans aren't used to talking animals."

"Oh," Charle paused for a minute. "Meow?"

The blue cat shook his head but proceeded to walk towards the girl who still looked like she was in shock. "It's okay Lucy, I'm Happy and that's Charle over there. We are here to help you."

"No one in life should go through what you have," Charle nodded standing up to her own two feet. "You deserve your happiness, you have earned it."

"But…but…you…?"

"Are cats yes we know," Happy waved it off. "Just stand up okay?"

Lucy was incredibly skeptical of the strange animals that had wandered into her backyard but in all honesty, what else did she have to lose? She stood to her feet as she held the dress she was wearing up from falling right off her.

Happy reached up and held her hand giving the girl a strange sense of comfort, whatever was going on it was clear the intentions were only good. She shut her eyes as some tears fell down her face.

"It's okay, Lucy," Charle spoke before raising her hands slightly.

Wind blew all around the yard, so strongly that it nearly knocked Lucy off her feet but she stood tall. She felt her hair being thrown around before she felt it being placed tightly against her head. Even her dress got nearly blown off before it fitted to her body like it was made for her. The uncomfortable heels vanished and her feet felt at ease in shoes that fit her perfectly. When the wind died down she let her eyes flutter open. What she saw she couldn't believe. The dress was brand new, a sparkling blue with a strapless bodice that fit around her every curve. The dress flared out into a flowing ball gown without the poof it had before. The shoes were a light shade of blue, and completely made of some form of glass. Her fingers fluttered up to her hair that was done down all in curls. A crystal tiara held her hair back of her face, just a few strands falling forward.

"How did you…?" her hands slipped over her mouth in shock.

"Don't ask questions," Happy gave her hand a squeeze. "There is a carriage out front, just go!"

Lucy nodded, tears in her eyes but this time from complete happiness. "Thank you, thank you both so much." She turned to run but Charle's voice called after her.

"I can only hold this magic for so long! Be back before midnight because everything will disappear!"

Lucy was already out of the house and in the carriage before either of the exceed could say another word.

"Children," Charle sighed. "I just hoped she heard me." She eyed Happy who was now standing next to her. "You did get everything set with Natsu right?"

"Of course I did," he scoffed. "Led them right into each other yesterday. Why do you think she wanted to go so badly?"

"This is the last time I ever play matchmaker for you."

* * *

><p>The grand palace of King Igneel and Queen Grandine lay right in front of Lucy's eyes. Lights were glowing from every end of the palace; she could already see the woman in fancy dresses, the men all dressed up in suits, and the music loud enough to hear even down the road. It had been an anxious ride over, but she was here. Her heart pounded inside her chest as she scanned every person she could see from the carriage, which was now slowing down as it approached the palace, for a head of pink hair.<p>

**Yes, the next is the ball. The part I've been wanting to write since I started this :3 I do hope you all still enjoyed this really late addition. Once I write the third part I have more NaLu fics to add to this collection. Thank you for reading and reviewing if you chose to, my dears!**

**-Lyssa**


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